Sweater



Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

uNrrlazDA STATESv JACOB ZIMMERMAN, or 1=I-III,,I IDELIaIIA,` rnNNsYLvANIA, AssIGNon 'ro I'ARAMOUN'I KNITTING MILLS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OEI'I.|1\T1\Iv SYLVANIA.

SWEATER. i

Application filed April 29, 1927. Serial No. 187,620. I

The present invention risY concerned with improvements in knitted garments, andiinds one of its preferred embodiments in an improved sweater of the sport coat type.

The so-called knitted sport coats present a somewhat tailored appearance when worn, but have a tendency to lose their shape due to the inherent stretchability of the knitted body-forming fabric. Usually after the sweaters have been worn for a short length of time, this tendency of the fabricto stretch becomes patent, particularly across the shoulder portions of the garment, with the result that the shoulders sag and the upper end of the garment sleeves, instead of being disposed in proper position, assume a posi;

tion well below the wearers shoulders. In consequence, the garment has an ill-fitting and unattractive appearance.`

The greatest strains'on the garment also occur at the shoulder lines due to the transverse stresses on the body along these lines with the result that the front and rear sections of the sweater tend to split or separate along the shoulder lines, and the sweater body also frequently breaks away from the sleeves and from the finishing band at .this point.

In accordance with the present invention, I have provided a garment so reinforced that the shoulder portions are substantially proof against sagging, and the life of the garment is materially prolonged due to the fact that Vthe danger of separation of any ofthe garment seams adjacent the shoulder is completely eliminated.

There have been previous. attempts to re,- nforce the shoulders by concealed lines of reinforcing tape following the shoulder lines upper edges thereof in the usual manner.

attractive appearance, well suited to the re-A quirements of economical manufacture, and of rugged, durable construction.

lVith the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features lof construction, and combinations and 'arrangements of parts, as willbe more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claim. yThe invention maybe more fully understood from the following descripdrawings, whereini F ig. 1' is a perspective view showing a garment embodying the present invention in applied position."

'Fig 2 is a perspective view of the inside ofi-the garment showing the position of the improved reinforcing means.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view on the line 3+?) of FigQ.

In the drawings I have shown a Isweater of the so-ca'lled sport coat type including a body formed of an integral back section l() and front section 11. A lower marginal finishing strip 12 of conventional character is employed, and a single linishingstrip 13 tion in connection with the accompanying follows the side edges of the body and the If desired, the front and rear sections of the body may be integral along the shoulder lines 14 or may be connected by a suitable line of stitching. These shoulder lines extend from the armhole portions 15 of the body to the intermediate portion of the band 13, the inner ends of the shoulder lines being spaced well apart.

Previous attempts have beenmade to reinforce this type of sweater by the attachment of inelastic reinforcing tapes along the interior of the shoulder lines 14, such tapes have readily broken away fromtheir anchorages when stretching strains have been imposed on the body. In accordance with the pres- 'ent invention I solve the problem of prevent- Ing sagging or ripping of the garment at or words, at right angles to the direction of 'from a hook when not in use.

the wales of the garment body along the shoulder line. Thus, while the member 16 is 'free to stretch longitudinally to a certain extent, between its anchored ends 111, 14, it limits the stretching of the body across the shoulder line, and prevents stretching of the body to an extent which might rip the seams at 141. Y

The use of the `member 16 prevents sagging inv a manner which will be immediately apparent, and also prevents tearing of the garment along the seams 14 under any ordinary straiin to which the garment maybe subjected;

Vhile not primarily intended for such use, i

the member 16 mayalso serve as a hanger upon which the sweater may be suspended It is quite a common practice,` evenr though these gar ments be provided with hanger straps, to` suspend theV sweater directly by the body thereof, witlithe result that the hooks frequently penetrate the body and spoil the appearance of the garment.

For practical purposes, it is advisable to attach the upper edge ofV the member 16 to the strip 13, between the upper or. inner ter minals of the shoulder lines 14. VFrom a strictly mechanical standpoint, in so far as the functioning of the stri` 16 to prevent sagging is concerned, the strip mi ht be con -nected to the sweater only along t ieshoulder lines, as it will be apparent that substantially all of the strain 1s transmitted d'irectly to the anchored taperingends of thestrip rather than to its upper edge.

Various changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the-spirit and scope of the appended claim. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to ,the details set forth, but shall consider myseltl at liberty to make such changes and alterations as yfairly `'fall within the spirit i and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

As `a new article of manufacture a knitted coat sweater including a body and` sleeves, a` marginal band attaehedto the body, the ends ofwhich lie alon the adjacent front edges of the bodyand t e intermediate portion of which defines the neckv of the garment, a removable narrow yokepiece off sag resisting ,reinforcing material including a straight free lower edge `extending from armhole to armliolev within the garment,the

upper edge of the intermediate portion of` the yoke lying substantially'parallel with its lower edge and.v being attached to that portion of the band lying between ,theendsot' the shoulder line. of the sweater, the endsof said upper edge being inclined downwardly. relatively to the lower edgeand coincident with and `attached to the shoulder lines of the garmennthe relatively narrow ends ot the yoke itself being connected to the sleeves at the armholes.

JACOB Z'IMMERMAN; 

